Shilin

Shilin (士林區) is the largest district of Taipei by area and one of its most traditional, occupying the city's northern reaches. It is best known to visitors for two things: the world-renowned National Palace Museum and the sprawling Shilin Night Market, one of Taipei's largest and most famous. The district also contains the expatriate enclave of Tianmu, leafy residential streets, and the lower slopes leading up to Yangmingshan National Park.

Shilin has a long history as a settled area, with old streets, temples, and the Cixian Temple area reflecting its origins as a market town long predating modern Taipei. Over time it absorbed grand institutions — the National Palace Museum, established to house the imperial Chinese art collection brought to Taiwan in 1949, and the Shilin Official Residence, the former home of Chiang Kai-shek. Today Shilin balances these heritage and cultural sites against the energy of its night market and the comfortable, international feel of Tianmu.

The district shares Taipei's humid subtropical climate: autumn (October–November) is the most pleasant time to visit, with comfortable temperatures and low rainfall; summers are hot, humid, and stormy; February to April are damp and grey. Shilin is well connected by the MRT red line, and its position at the foot of Yangmingshan makes it a natural gateway to the national park.

By Plane

The nearest international airport is Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), about 40 km away. Take the Taoyuan Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station, then the MRT red line north to Shilin — total journey around 1.5 hours. A taxi from the airport costs roughly NT$1,200–1,400. Songshan Airport (TSA) for domestic flights is a shorter MRT ride away.

By Train

Shilin is served by the Taipei MRT rather than the intercity rail network. Long-distance Taiwan Railways and high-speed trains use Taipei Main Station, from which Shilin is a direct ride north on the MRT red line.

By Car / Road

Shilin is reached from central Taipei via Zhongshan North Road in around 20–30 minutes by car on good urban roads. Several city bus routes connect Shilin to the rest of Taipei and up to Yangmingshan (for example route 260 along Zhongshan North Road). With the MRT so convenient, a car is not necessary.

Shilin sits on the MRT red line, with key stations including Shilin (for the night market), Jiantan (the more convenient stop for the night market), and Zhishan. MRT fares run about NT$20–35, payable with an EasyCard. City buses fill the gaps and climb to Yangmingshan; YouBike share bikes are widely available. Within the night market and Tianmu the district is walkable; metered taxis and Uber are easy to find. The National Palace Museum is reached by bus from Shilin MRT Station. There are no notable scams, though the night market gets very crowded at weekends.

Museums

• National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院) — one of the world's greatest collections of Chinese art and antiquities, drawn from the imperial collection; highlights include the famous Jadeite Cabbage and Meat-Shaped Stone. Generally open daily; ticket around NT$350. Reached by bus from Shilin MRT Station.
• Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines — across the road from the National Palace Museum, dedicated to Taiwan's indigenous peoples; modest entry fee.

Historic sites

• Shilin Official Residence (士林官邸) — the former residence of Chiang Kai-shek, with a Western-style mansion, a small chapel, and extensive landscaped gardens famous for seasonal rose and chrysanthemum displays; gardens free, mansion with a small fee.
• Cixian Temple (慈諴宮) — a historic temple in the heart of old Shilin, near the original night market site; free.

Nature

• Shuangxi riverside parks and the foothill trails leading towards Yangmingshan National Park, which borders the district to the north.

Eat your way through the Shilin Night Market, Taipei's most famous, sampling street snacks late into the evening. Spend a half-day at the National Palace Museum to see imperial Chinese treasures. Stroll the gardens of the Shilin Official Residence, especially during the seasonal flower displays. Browse the international shops and cafés of Tianmu, popular with Taipei's expatriate community. Use Shilin as a launchpad for hiking in Yangmingshan National Park — the Tianmu Trail starts at the end of Zhongshan North Road. The district is also a short hop from the children's attractions and performing-arts venues clustered near Jiantan.

Shilin's food reputation rests heavily on its night market, but the district offers everything from street snacks to comfortable sit-down restaurants.

• Budget: The Shilin Night Market is the headline act — try the giant fried chicken cutlet, oyster omelette, stinky tofu, sweet potato balls, and "small sausage in large sausage" (a glutinous-rice "bun" around a pork sausage). Most snacks cost around NT$50–150.
• Mid-range: Tianmu and the streets around Shilin MRT Station have hotpot restaurants, Japanese eateries, and Taiwanese restaurants in the roughly NT$250–500 per person range.
• Upscale: The Silks Palace restaurant beside the National Palace Museum serves refined Chinese cuisine, including dishes shaped like the museum's famous artefacts; expect higher prices. Tianmu also has international fine dining.

Vegetarian food is easy to find, with Buddhist-influenced vegetarian (素食) restaurants across the district. Halal options are limited locally; central Taipei is a better bet for certified halal dining.

Bubble tea, Taiwan's signature drink, is sold throughout the night market and district. Tianmu has a good selection of cafés and Western-style bars, reflecting its international community. Taiwan Beer is the everyday local lager, and the night market itself has plenty of cold drink and dessert stalls. Tap water is treated but most people drink it boiled or bottled.

• Budget: Backpacker hostels around Jiantan and Shilin MRT stations offer dorm beds from roughly NT$700–1,100 per night; central Taipei hostels are also a short MRT ride away.
• Mid-range: Business and tourist hotels near Shilin and Jiantan MRT stations provide comfortable rooms from around NT$2,500–4,500 per night.
• Upscale / heritage: The Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店), the palatial Chinese-style landmark, sits just south of Shilin near Yuanshan, with rooms from roughly NT$6,000 upward; upscale hotels in Tianmu offer a quieter, residential alternative.

The Shilin Night Market is as much a shopping destination as a food one, with clothing, accessories, phone cases, toys, and games filling the covered market and surrounding lanes. Tianmu has a more upmarket, international shopping scene, including department stores and supermarkets stocked with imported goods. For souvenirs, the National Palace Museum gift shop sells high-quality reproductions and design goods inspired by its collection. Prices in shops are fixed; modest bargaining is acceptable at night-market stalls.

• Beitou (about 10 minutes by MRT) — hot-spring district for a soak.
• Yangmingshan National Park (about 30–40 minutes by bus) — volcanic peaks, hiking, and hot springs.
• Tamsui (Danshui) (about 25 minutes by MRT) — riverside old town and famous sunsets.
• Central Taipei (about 15–20 minutes by MRT) — Taipei 101, Ximending, and the main sights.
• Maokong (about an hour via central Taipei and the gondola) — tea-growing hills above the city.
• Keelung (about 50 minutes by train via Taipei) — port city with a famous night market.